Sorry, but Jesus didn't say, "And, as he slept, he dreamed that he was in Hell and this is what he went through..." Nope. He said, "And in Hell, he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."
Nowhere in that passage, neither before, during, nor after, does Christ mention anything about a dream. As you've quoted from several scriptures, when someone is dreaming, God makes it clear. What is clear in Luke is that the conscious rich man awoke in Hell. In torment. Not in a nightmare. In eternity.

The land of Israel is firmly established by a written Covenant, the Bible, to the physical, descendants of Abraham, Issac and Jacob: the Jews.
The Israeli Ambassador, the Honourable Danny Danon, explains it very plainly when, after quoting Genesis 17:7 & 8, he said, while holding up the Bible, "This is the deed to our land."

That was your reply/response/question to John's following quotation...
Why can't it simply refer to Mary's womb? It can't, because it's referring to the fact that BEFORE Christ ascended to heaven, he first descended into the lower parts of the earth to set free those who were kept in Abraham's bosom.
No it isn't. You may want to do a word study on what all "the lowest parts of the earth" can (and does) refer to. However, I will tell you this...not once does "womb" get mentioned.
No it doesn't. The word "pit" refers to the current situation that they had "dug themselves into". They were in a bad situation due to their rebelliousness. They had dug themselves into a pit. Read the previous chapter, and you'll clearly see why it refers to their situation and NOT to a mother's womb.
That has nothing to do with physical sleep, nor does it have anything to do with physical death...both are referring to spiritual truths. The lost are "asleep" in their lack of concern for salvation...they are dead in their trespasses and sins. However, Christ will give them light if they will see their situation and turn to the truth of the gospel.
Let me ask you a question. When the Bible says that Christ is the cornerstone of the church, does that mean that he's literally a large stone that was set as the corner of a building?
Jerry has already answered you on this, but I would like to ask you to read the next two verses. They explain what is meant by "the dead knowing nothing"...which Jerry explained.
The clue to what this verse means is...in the verse itself. You should have underlined and emboldened the word "because"...because there's the meaning. Due to the fact that our life span on earth is like a shadow, we know "nothing". Read the previous verses and following verses. Job is imploring to seek wisdom from the fathers.
It is fascinating; on that, I can agree. However, those are all Old Testament passages which show how God spoke to men at times back then.

Hi Totoo! I hope you're doing well friend.
I'm not familiar with that school/course. I graduated from on online college (Andersonville Theological Seminary) in 2009. At that time, it was pretty trustworthy; however, I can't speak for it now. At the time, they used the King James Version...and though there were things that I personally disagreed with in one of the courses...all-in-all...it was a blessing. At that time, it cost me $100 down to begin and $50 per month until I graduated...not sure of the costs today. At that time, students could go through the courses at their own pace.
All of that to say this...
I somewhat know your situation; in that, you are in a predicament in attending a solid church (China). Perhaps Alan (who is a missionary to Thailand) can be of more assistance. When I have time, I will look over the school that you have mentioned. I don't want to discourage you, yet at the same time, I want to warn you about choosing a course without first being grounded in God's word yourself. Learning God's word is exciting...and in our haste and expectation to learn more, we can often jump in to something that we shouldn't. With that said, please wait until others have given their input on this situation and this course. Again...I don't want to discourage you...I just want to make sure that you're making a wise choice.
Okay...
A quick internet search returned this...
From what little I've read, John Ogwyn is the person behind the course. Since he is affiliated with the "Living Church of God", I can't recommend his teachings.

Day of remembrance for Australian and New Zealand soldiers.
"Lest we forget....."
The Ode
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Lest we forget......

Alrighty then. This thread is going to be locked as soon as I'm done posting this. And I think you'll understand why...
MJW has brought to this thread nonsense spewed on David Icke's forum. David Icke is a conspiracy theorist (please understand, I'm not against every "conspiracy theory" because the devil really is out to get us) who is anti-Israel, believes shape-shifting lizards control the earth, parallel universes, that he is a son of the godhead, had an illegitimate child from his wife-approved relationship with a psychic (his wife renamed herself Michaela, you know - from the archangel Michael).
I could go on and on, but I don't need to. The fact remains that the nonsense listed in this thread appears on his official forum. I'm leaving the thread intact simply for educational purposes. However, to the reader of this forum: please be advised that what MJW has said and posted in this thread is not biblical.
@John Young, if you'd like to comment, let me know. I'll be glad to unlock it for your comment, since you are the originator of the thread.

Nup nup nup - sorry, but this has no basis in scripture. You have twisted those passages in order to present something that is, once again, not in the passage.
You are reading into the passage what you want in it. You are not reading from the passage what is already in it.

I agree with the David Cloud recommendation.
He has Pdf material available.
However, most of Brother Sargent's material is also available as pdf. If you contact him direct and explain your situation I am sure he can help you out.
Both of these men have good conservative Bible material.

What a beautiful field of flowers!
I have had a few cactus plants for about six-ish years now, usually they have a few blooms on them once in awhile. However, this month one of them has the most blooms I've ever seen! Eight flowers, one is smaller and beneath the larger ones. Interestingly, the blooms close up at night and open during the day.

Unfortunately my church does not have the luxury of being able to put up a sign with interchangeable messages, but I love it when I drive by a church and I see a clever saying on the sign. The following is a few of my favorites that I have come across.
1) This one here is good one for this time of year. "Come in and Let us prepare you for your finals"
2) Ouch. A direct message for the thieves from Clays Mill Rd.
3) This one hit the heart.
4) This one is straight to the point
5) This one is clever. Well done
If your church has a funny sign or if you have seen one, feel free to post it in the comments below.

“The Day of the Lord”
The day of the Lord, as prophesied by the Old Testament prophets, starts at Revelation 6:1 and continues until Revelation 22:1 as revealed by John the apostle.
During ‘the day of the Lord,’ God will fulfill all of the unfulfilled prophecies of the Old Testament prophets. Acts 3:19-23, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed among the people.”
The prophesies of the Old Testament prophets revolve around the Lord Jesus. Revelation 19:10, “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
The context of the phrase “the day of the Lord,” or “in that day,” or “And in that day,” or, “in the last times.” in the prophets of the Old Testament determines whether or not it was a prophecy for the Jews in that time period or for the “end times” as depicted in Revelation 6:1-22:1
In the book of Revelation we can clearly see that the 7 Seals, the 7 Trumpets, the 3 Woes, the 7 Thunders, and the 7 vials run concurrently. The “Day of the Lord” is the fulling of the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets concerning these events occurring in the 7 year Tribulation period and ending in Revelation 21:1
Some examples of the unfulfilled prophecies of the “Day of the Lord” written in the Old Testament book of Isaiah the prophet.
1. Isaiah 2:1-5, “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.”
This prophecy will be fulfilled during the 1,000 Year reign of Christ Revelation 20:3-6
2. Isaiah 2:10-22, “the day of the Lord” verse 12.
This prophecy will be fulfilled during the 7-Year Tribulation Period in Revelation 6:1-19:21
3. Isaiah 4:1-6, “And in that day” in verse 1 and 2 is the day of the Lord.
This prophecy will be fulfilled during the 1,000 Year reign of Christ as revealed by John in Revelation 20:3-6
4. Isaiah 11:6-16, “And in that day” in verse 10 and 11 is the day of the Lord.
This prophecy will be fulfilled during the 1,000 Year reign of Christ in Revelation 20:3-6
5. Isaiah 13:6-16, “day of the Lord” verse 6 and 9.
Isaiah 13:6-8, “Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed at one another; there faces shall be as flames.”
Pastor Steven Anderson and the Day of the LORD in Isaiah 13:9-11
In his commentary on Revelation Chapter 6, Pastor Steven Anderson will quote from Isaiah 13:6-8 but he totally ignores the continuation of the prophecy of the day of the Lord as prophesied in Isaiah 13:9-11, “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkness in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and I will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”
The prophecy of 13:9, “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners out of it ...” is an apt description of the terrors upon the entire world as the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Seals in Revelation 6:3-9 and concluding with the opening of the Sixth Seal in Revelation 6:12
The prophecy of Isaiah 13:10 is fulfilled in Revelation 8:12. Revelation 8:12, “And the forth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it and the night likewise.”
Therefore, Anderson is mistaken and cannot ‘rightly divide the scriptures.’ Isaiah 13:9-11 is a condensation of the wrath, and terror, of God on the entire world in the opening of the 6 Seals in Revelation Chapter 6.It is my opinion that Pastor Anderson is deliberate in his omission of Isaiah 13:9-11 in order to deceive his listeners.
6 . Isaiah 14:1-3, “in that day” in verse 3 is the day of the Lord.
This prophecy will be fulfilled during the 1,000 Year reign of Christ Revelation 20:3-6 Isaiah 19:16-25, “in that day” in verse 16, 18, 19, 23 and 25 is the day of the Lord.
This prophecy will be fulfilled during the 1,000 Year reign of Christ in Revelation 20:3-6
7. Isaiah 34:1-3
Isaiah 34:8, “For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.”
This prophecy will be fulfilled during the 7-Year Tribulation Period in Revelation 6:1-19:21
Isaiah 34:4 will be fulfilled after the Great White Throne of Judgment as recorded in Revelation 21:1
“And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.” Isaiah 34:4
2 Peter 3:10-13, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein he heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
Isaiah 65:7, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”
This prophecy will be fulfilled in Revelation 21:1, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”
Anderson and Revelation 21:1, “The Day of the Lord’
The apostle Peter clearly, and unmistakably, said, “But the day of the Lord ...”The apostle clearly quoted Isaiah the prophet from Isaiah 65:17. Therefore, the creation of the “new heavens and the new earth” is an intricate part of “the day of Lord.”
In his audio, and text copy, of his commentary on Revelation 21 pastor Steven Anderson after quoting 2 Peter 2:10-13 states, “So the Bible tells us that because we know that everything on this earth is going to be dissolved, and that there is eventually going to be a new heaven and a new earth, that should affect the way that we live our life. I mean, what manner of persons ought we to be, if we know that everything around us is going to be burned up.”i Pastor Anderson does not make one comment on when the apostle Peter said, “… the day of the Lord ...”
Furthermore, even though the apostle John is clearly quoting the prophet Isaiah, Anderson will not acknowledge the prophecy of Isaiah 65:17. In my estimation, Anderson omits all of this vital, and doctrinal information, on purpose in order to deceive his listeners on the vitally important doctrine of “the day of the Lord.”
Therefore, “the day of the Lord,” is the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets starting at the beginning of the 7 year Tribulation Period, Revelation 6:1 to Revelation 21:1
Pastor Steven Anderson and the Prophecies fulfilling “The Day of the Lord”
Pastor Anderson does not believe that the unfulfilled prophecies, previously quoted, represent “the day of the Lord.” Anderson teaches that only “one day,” the opening of the sixth seal, Revelation 6:12-17, is the complete fulfillment of “the day of the Lord.” Anderson states, “Now, I believe that the day of the Lord is a LITERAL DAY. I’m not saying that it’s an hour period, I’m saying that it’s a day on the calendar as it were.”ii
Pastor Anderson is wrong. The ‘day of the Lord’ is the time frame from Revelation 6:1-21
Also, according to Pastor Anderson, Revelation 6:12 is ‘the day of the Lord’ when the rapture of the church takes place. Anderson states, “Now, according to Matthew 24:29, when the sun and moon are darkened, Christ comes in the clouds and we are gathered together unto him. So is this a good day for us, or a bad day for us? It's a great day. But if you're not saved, is this a good day when you are left behind to face the wrath of Almighty God? It's a terrible day, it's a horrible day.”iii
Again, based on his incorrect interpretation of Matthew 24:29, Anderson teaches that the rapture occurs in Revelation 6:12-17 and that “one day” is, “the day of the Lord.”
Conclusion. The “day of the Lord’ is the fulfilling of the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets that occurs as described by John the Apostle in Revelation 6:1-21:1
i Anderson, Steven Revelation 21 copied on April 6, 2019 <http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/revelation_21.html>
ii Anderson, Steven Revelation 6 copied on April 30, 2019 <http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/revelation_6.html>
iii Anderson, Steven Revelation 6 copied on April 30, 2019 <http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/revelation_6.html>

I hadn't posted an update on Facebook for a while until this morning. Some of it is a repeat of the previous post, but here it is:
A few weeks ago, the doctor cleared Randy to go back to work. He had already been back to preaching, but now would need to go back to home health aid.
We were not thrilled with this, because we know how much pain he's in (well, I know from observation, he from - obviously - experience). The first week there were some issues that seemed like would end up with his losing his workman's comp. We know that if that had happened, God would take care...briefly summed it was because he had been released for light/moderate duty, but even the light duty was too much.
He had three days with 1 shift each day, 1 1/2 hour each. Sounds easy peasy, right? Well, he had just gotten to the point where he was sleeping at night for maybe 3 hours at a shot before pain woke him. The night after his first shift was not horrible, but it wasn't as well as the previous nights had been. The second night was worse, and he woke in the morning for his third shift with his foot so swollen (this was after propping it the rest of the previous day and night) he could hardly get his shoe on. Yet he still went to work.
So...he had to see the doctor again. He wanted me to go in with him, to make sure that he remembered everything he wanted to discuss.
Upshot of the visit was that the doc limited him to two 1 1/2 hour shifts per week. While that is still difficult for him, it is much better than the 3 shifts. So he's done two weeks like that, and heading into his third week.
The doctor had also referred him to a neurologist for his foot. And the doc told Randy that it's very likely that he has neuropathy (which is not curable)...and that this is quite likely his "new normal." He has an appointment for June 26
He still isn't driving, so my mom and I take turns bringing him to work - and finding something to do in town so we don't have to drive home and go back. =D Just this morning, as he was walking to his chair, he was limping badly. I asked him if he was ok...he was having some intense surges of pain. He had to get to his chair and sit before he fell. The surges of pain are one big reason he isn't driving right now. And they are intensely painful.
It bothers him that he can't get outside and putter with things - like mowing the lawn. Our son has come and done some mowing, and my wonderful sister and her boyfriend spent 4 hours (that's a total of 8 hours...) this past Saturday mowing and weed eating - and they weren't able to finish it all! Not because they weren't working like lunatics, but because there's just so much to do! Randy feels guilty about not being out there (I know, and he knows, there isn't anything he can do about it, but there it is...). So there's that.
And he is a bit frustrated at not being able to be out knocking on doors for church. It's something that he has always loved doing, and now cannot do.
At the same time, he knows that God is in control - and he is looking forward to God working in our lives and in our church. And he is enjoying the extra time to study.
Me? I'm concerned greatly. He has several health issues that can be life-threatening. I'm praying for a miracle. A miracle that, even if he has neuropathy, our Great Physician will heal him.
I can't really put into words all that is in my heart. But I would ask that you join me in praying for that miracle. Thank you for continuing to pray for my Randy.

I don't think anyone is suggesting you be banned...... yet.
Jerry has responded to your sarcasm and aggressive tone.
I will say that we don't often take to kindly to people arriving here and taking it upon themselves to "teach" their pet doctrines.
What we do like is people who want to join our community and discuss - not argue about things.
But you are drawing some hugely long bows and making some strange interpretations and then telling us that we don't believe what the Bible says.
But you haven't really introduced yourself properly and you haven't entered into any general "get to know you" type conversations.
Hang for a while. Get to know is and help us to get to know you.
THEN join the discussions and DISCUSS rather than just argue.

You genuinely have no idea about proper Biblical interpretation.......
You make the Scripture fit with your ideas.
That is wrong.
Part of this problem stems from you not being a part of a church but instead getting your teaching from people you don't know and who don't know nor care about you.
There is a reason why God made churches.

They obviously saw each other in OT times, and even were able to communicate on at least one occasion - according to Jesus in Luke 16 - though there was a great uncrossable gulf between the two places.

Brother David Cloud has a number of free, PDF, e-books, on different subjects, that are a help in Christian growth, Bible Study, and on many issues affecting the Christian realm.
Here is the link to his fee e-books: https://www.wayoflife.org/free_ebooks/
Among other fine materials, Brother David Cloud has a free, PDF, "From Genesis to Revelation Bible Study Course," published in 1921 by Brother Groom. Here is the link:
https://www.wayoflife.org/free_ebooks/genesis_to_revelation.php

One of the most important habits to develop in the Christian life is that of daily Bible reading. It is the Word of God that has the power to sanctify the believer and build him up in Christ. It imparts conviction, enlightenment, spiritual strength, faith, wisdom, repentance. Consider the following Scriptures: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8). “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall...
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I'm sure that book would be generally good but I have not read it.
Also because it comes from "bible.org" it will probably not be using the King James Bible but their version called the "New English Translation" or "NET Bible" as a short name. The "NET bible" is an online "contentiously updated" version of the bible that also cross references many study materials to the bible passage you are reading at the time. Many like it because of the study feature and its ability to quickly be updated to reflect the latest and greatest in scholastic discoveries. The problem with this is that their bible is always changing depending on who is in charge and what the culture pressures them to change at the time. It also becomes too easy to rely on the study material to tell you what the bible says rather than doing the study work yourself. Which may be quicker learning at times but also causes errors of the teacher to be passed down to the student and will be hard to unlearn later when you find the mistake.
Modern bible versions encourage the mindset that the "original bible" has been lost so we must "find" and search for older manuscripts that are "closer" to the originals. Therefor, this idea has let to many new bible versions that are contentiously updated and changed. However the bible teaches that God has preserved the bible and has entrusted it to faithful men to pass down to us today and that we will pass it to the next generations (Psalm 12:6-7, 2 Timothy 2:2) . The King James Bible is translated from the faithful text and is considered to be a faithful English translation of what was passed down to us. Therefor our bible does not need to be changed and can be relied on to teach us the truth.
As you search online for study material, you will come across generally good teaching materials but if they use a bible different then the King James Bible then you will see that they ultimately do not rely on a faithful bible that was passed down for their teaching but believe the bible and doctrine can be changed based on what men can "discover" from places other than the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible must be the highest authority that changes us and should not be changed by lower authorities (Romans 13:1-2, Psalm 138:2). This goes for the study material we chose to use as well. The best study material will always bring you back to the bible in your study to find your answers. This is why I like the teaching material from www.baptistpublications.org.
The book I recommended can be ordered from this link http://www.baptistpublications.org/p/D-ABCB.html
I am not sure of how ordering it from China will work but if you are unable to get it then we can look around for an online alternative that might work.

Zephaniah 1:14-18, “The Day of the LORD- A Time of Wrath”
The prophet Zephaniah prophesied, “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.” Zephaniah 1:14-18
The prophet Zephaniah further stated, “Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” Zephaniah 3:8
None, may I repeat none, of the prophecies of Zephaniah quoted above has taken place either literally, spiritually, allegorically, since Zephaniah penned these prophecies. All of these prophecies are still future and will commence at the opening of the First Seal in Revelation 6:1 and continue, concurrently, as the Seventh Seal is opened in Revelation 8:1. The continuation of the wrath of God in included in the 7 Trumpets, the 7 Thunders, the 7 Vials and the 3 woes.
Therefore, as previously stated, according to the prophets of the Old Testament, “the day of the Lord,” besides the complete 7 years in the Tribulation Period, includes the gathering of the Jews as spoken by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24:29-31.
Introduction - The Old Testament Prophets
God gave us the prophets, and the nation of Israel, as an example to clearly show us how He brings His wrath upon men. 1 Corinthians 10:6 & 11, “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. … Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
Hosea 12:10, “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.” God speaks through the prophets. If a person is going to learn the correct, and I emphasize the word correct, interpretation of the book of Revelation than it is of a necessity for that individual to learn the ministry, the visions, the similitudes, the dreams of the prophets of the Old Testament.
I will give three examples.
First example. In order to know the correct interpretation of Revelation 12:1-6, the woman clothed with the sun, we must go to the dreams of Joseph in Genesis 37:1-11.
Second Example. In order to know the correct interpretation of Revelation 6:1-12, the Seven Seals, and determine whether or not it is ‘the wrath of God’ and the ‘day of the Lord’ one must go to the prophets. In conjunction with Zephaniah, in this study we will look at Ezekiel and Isaiah.
Third Example. In the Six Seals we see the wrath of God poured out upon the entire world in order to punish the world in the following four judgments: The Sword – Revelation 6:1-4, Famine – Revelation 6:5-6, Pestilence, and the beasts of the earth – Revelation 6:7-8. God used all four of these judgments, clearly stated as His “wrath” on the Jews as in Revelation 6:1-8 as recorded in Jeremiah 15:1-4; 16:1-4 and 32:36-37 and Ezekiel 5:12-17 and 7:15
Zephaniah 1:14-18 and the & 7-Year Tribulation Period
“That day is a day of wrath...” The prophet Zephaniah clearly prophesies that the day of the Lord will be a day of wrath. All of the proceeding prophecies in Zephaniah 1:14-18 are clearly seen in the 6 Seals as recorded in Revelation 6 and in the opening of the Seventh Seal in Revelation 8:1 and following.
The prophet Jeremiah gave us an example of the “great wrath” of God upon the Jews and as an example to us what God is going to do on a world-wide scale in Revelation 6. “And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.” Jeremiah 32:36-37
The “great wrath” of God on the nations of the world will commence at the First Seal as recorded in Revelation 6:1-4
Zephaniah further prophesied, “… a day of trouble and distress ...” All of the 6 Seals; the Seventh Seal includes the 7 Trumpets, the 7 Thunders, the 7 Vials, and the three woes, are, “a day of trouble and distress” upon the whole earth. The Lord Jesus emphasized the prophecy of Zephaniah when Zephaniah said, “a day of trouble and distress. “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” Luke 21:26
Zephaniah further prophesied, “… a day of wasteness and desolation ...” All of the 6 Seals, including the Seventh Seal that includes the 7 Trumpets, the 7 Thunders, the 7 Vials, and the three woes, are, “a day of trouble and distress” upon the whole earth.
Zephaniah further prophesied, “… and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness ...”
This coincides with the prophecy of Isaiah 9:19, “Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel to the fire: no man shall spare his brother.” The wrath of darkness and the killing of one’s own family members will be on a world-wide scale in the Second Seal, the Red Horse. Isaiah and Zephaniah clearly state that this is “wrath” from the Lord.
Isaiah is also clear in Isaiah 13:6-13, that I previously brought out, the wrath of the day of the Lord is to “punish the world.” Included in Isaiah’s prophecy is, “For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.” Isaiah 13:10
The Second Seal coincides, and concurrently, with the Fourth Angel sounding the Fourth Trumpet in Revelation 8:12, “And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.” Therefore this is conclusive evidence that the 7 Seals and the 7 Trumpets are both a part of the wrath of God, both are a part of the ‘day of the Lord’ and both are in fulfillment of the prophet Zephaniah in Zephaniah 1:14-18
The Second Seal also coincides with the Fifth angel pouring out the Fifth Vial upon the kingdom of the Beast in Revelation 16:10, “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues with pain.”
So, the Second Seal is part of, and runs concurrently of, the ‘vials of the wrath of God upon the earth’ Revelation 16:1
Therefore, the ‘gloominess, a day of clouds, and thick darkness,’ on a world-wide scale is a part of the wrath of God that will take place in the Second Seal, the Fourth Trumpet, and the Fifth Vial.
Zephaniah further prophesied, “A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.” This is a clear prophesy of the First Seal, the Second Seal, and one of the Thunder Judgments; not revealed according to Revelation 10:3-4. The sounding of the trumpet as prophesied by Zephaniah is clearly a sound of war; the anti-Christ, by warfare, starts his conquest of the entire world.
Revelation 6:1-4 states, “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”
So, the prophesy of Zephaniah, concerning the ‘wrath of God,’ starts at the First Seal in Revelation 6:1 and continues throughout the entire 7 years. According to the Lord Jesus, the wrath of God is so intense that unless God shortened the days, in order to save the ‘elect’ sons the Jacob, the Jewish race, than the entire human race would be destroyed by the end of the Seals, the Trumpets, the Thunders, the Vials, and the woes. “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elects sake those days shall be shortened.” Matthew 24:22
The Lord Jesus plainly stated that all of the prophecies of the prophets, Zephaniah as this lesson’s example, will be fulfilled. “For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” Luke 21:22
Pastor Anderson Disbelief of the prophecy of Zephaniah, Isaiah & Ezekiel
Concerning the first Four Seals, Pastor Anderson is in denial that they have anything to do with the wrath of God. Anderson states, “So that shows that the events of the first four seals are NOT THE WRATH of God. And obviously the fifth seal is not the wrath of God, it's Christians being killed for the cause of Christ, that's not God doing that.”i
Anderson is in error. According to the prophet Zephaniah, and by example Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the first Five Seals are the wrath of God poured out on the entire world. The saints in Revelation 6 are saints in the Tribulation Period and not saints in the Body of Christ: Christians.
Concerning the world-wide destruction within the first 4 Seals in Revelation 6:1-8, Anderson states, “And by the way, I believe that all of these things are man-made, they’re clearly not the wrath of God, and I’ve proved that in other sermons. These are engineered in order to put the antichrist in power because it takes a crisis in order to put a world government like that in power, and the crisis is created with those first four seals.”ii
Anderson offers no substantial scriptural proof that the seal judgments are not the wrath of God. The proof that Anderson offers, “in other sermons,” that the Seal Judgments are “man-made” and “engineered in order to put the antichrist is power” are messages against the United States, messages against the Jewish race, and numerous ‘conspiracy theories.’
Conclusion
According to the prophet Zephaniah, and the examples of the prophet Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, the 6 Seals, and the other concurrent judgments, are all part of the wrath of God, upon the entire world, as described in the 7-Year Tribulation period. The wrath of God, as prophesied by Zephaniah, is plainly evident in Revelation 6. It is only due to the mercy of God for His chosen people, the sons of Jacob, the Jewish race, that the entire world is not killed.
i Anderson, Steven Revelation 6 copied on April 30, 2019 <http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/revelation_6.html>
ii Anderson, Steven Revelation 12 copied on May 13, 2019 <http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/revelation_12.html>

Totoo,
I haven't been able to remember nor find the source that I mentioned earlier. I'm sorry.
Like Alan, the thing that helped me the most as a new Christian was time alone in the Bible...allowing the Holy Spirit to teach me. I remember those days with such love.
Aside from that, one book that really helped me as a new Christian was "Wilmington's Guide to the Bible". A fellow believer (and his family) gave me that book back in 1990, and it was truly a blessing. Though Wilmington may not be considered to be in the same exact lines of belief as Independent Fundamental Baptists, his work in that book (at that time) was very sound. That book is like a simplified college course in Theology. I've tried to find it for free online so that I could send you the link, but all I can find are just a few pages...which are of no help. All that I can attest to is the book that I have from back then. I do know that there has been SEVERAL revisions since then, so I don't know anything about the newer versions.
I would be willing to send my copy to you, but I don't know how China handles things like that. Do they inspect packages that are sent by mail? Would you be arrested if you received such an item that is based on the Bible?

Totoo,
I think that Pastor John Young has given you a good suggestion concerning http://www.baptistpublications.org/.
It is a very good suggestion and you start with it.
When I first trusted Christ as my Saviour I only had a New Testament and I read through that New Testament several times before I started to read the Old Testament and it seemed to help me in my Christian growth.
You mentioned Derek Prince. Derek Prince was a Charismatic preacher who taught bad doctrine. Derek Prince developed a Bible Study Course, and wrote a huge number of books. The organization that carries on his work uses the Bible Study Course to get new believers, and saints who want to grow, hooked into the Charismatic doctrines and to promote the selling of Derek Princes books. Quite frankly, it is a money generating machine designed to deceive. I cannot advise signing up for the Derek Prince Bible Course.
Glad to hear that you are very interested in studying the scriptures. Again, I think it would benefit your Christian growth to follow John Young's suggestion.
God bless!
Alan

Of course parents can be wrong. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes.
But there is no doubt that God expects us to honour and obey our parents.
Eph 6:1-3
(1) Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
(2) Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
(3) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Where it says to obey, that word actually means more than just doing what you are told - it also carries with it the idea that we should obey with the right attitude. It is easy to do as we are told but not having the right attitude with it.
And where it says "honour", that means to value them or more to the point "to ascribe value" to them. This means that you make them valuable to you.
This doesn't mean that you honour them when they deserve it, but that you honour them and value them because they are your parents.
That is probably not what you want to hear, but the Bible is plain that we are to honour and obey our parents not because they are right, but simply because they are our parents.
We are to value them not because they are good, or even good parents, but because they are our parents.
The ONLY out for that is where they would tell you to do something that is against the Bible and God's Commands.
You should never go against God's Word, but you must find a way to honour them whilst refusing to dishonour God.
Finally, can you say you have always been a perfect child? I am going to answer for you - no, you haven't been. I can safely assume this because no one has ever been a perfect child.
How then can you expect them to be perfect parents? They are made of the same stuff that you are.
I do have one final, final thing to say - if any of this involves personal danger to you, then get yourself out of danger. Once you are safe you can figure out what the best course of action is from there, and how honouring your parents fits with that.

As I am not a Paleontologist, in my unprofessional opinion, this is an excellent article. I would like to give one quote:
"Significance of the tracks
These tracks vividly reveal the drama of Noah’s Flood as it deluged the earth. We catch a glimpse of how animals reacted, leaving footprints as they fled the floodwaters rising on what is now Australia. Before these prints were made, kilometres of sediment had already been deposited on the continent, burying terrestrial and marine creatures. More sediment was deposited afterwards."

Some of the best Fundamental Baptist Bible study material that I know of can be gotten from www.baptistpublications.org . It is a ministry out of Bible Baptist Church of Oak Harbor Washington Pastored by Brother Robert Sargent. They do not have an "online course" but they do have material showing local churches how to start their own Bible Institutes (http://www.baptistpublications.org/INST.html). Their source material is also set up for new believers to be mentored by an older believer in the faith. They have their teaching material organised in three groups "Basic Discipleship" (The ABC's of Christian GROWTH), "Advanced discipleship" (The ABC's of Christian MATURITY) and "Institute curriculum". In all the cost for materials is around $500, which can be bought a little at a time and is well worth the price and will provide many years worth of productive study. The main course descriptions I've posted below form their site shows what is taught and for how much each book is:
The ABC's of Christian GROWTH $11.00 (PRODUCT DETAILS: by: Robert J. Sargent. Proven doctrinal and practical lessons to help disciple new Christians and refresh older saints. Suitable for personal study, one-on-one discipleship, group study, all-church series, family devotions, high school devotions, jail ministries, radio ministries -- you name it! It works! Requires students to search the scriptures (AV1611) to find Bible answers. Suitable for adults and youth. Lessons are based on the letters of the alphabet, with two introductory lessons (making 28 lessons in all). A - Assurance; B - Bible; C - Church; D - Daily Walk; E - Enemy (Satan); F - Family; G - God; H - Holy Spirit; I - Immersion; J - Jesus Christ; K - Kinship (Baptist heritage); L - Lord's Supper; M - Missions; N - New Birth; O - Obedience; P - Prayer; Q - Questions often Asked; R - Return of Christ; S - Separation; T - Tithing & Stewardship; U - Unity; V - Victory; W - Witnessing; X - X-Rated for Baptists; Y - Your Church; Z - Zion. THIRD EDITION: Revised 2004. 187 pages. 8½" x 11" spiral bound.
The ABC's of Christian MATURITY, Volume 1, $16.00 (PRODUCT DETAILS: by: Robert J. Sargent This Bible-study manual follows the format of the popular ""The ABC's of Christian growth,"" and presents in-depth studies on a wide range of thought-provoking, sometimes controversial, subjects. It is designed to challenge Baptists to get into the Word of God. Suitable for adults and older teens -- a great resource for busy pastors. Two volume set. VOLUME I... A - Apostasy. B - The Bride of Christ. C - The Crucified Life. D - Divorce. E - Education. F - Financial Freedom. G - The Gifts of the Spirit. H - Hell. I - Israel. J - Judging & Discerning. K - The Kingdom of God. L - Liberty, Legalism, & License. M - The Mysteries of God. 204 pages. 8½" x 11" spiral bound.
The ABC's of Christian MATURITY, Volume 2, $16.00 (PRODUCT DETAILS by: Robert J. Sargent. This Bible-study manual follows the format of the popular ""The ABC's of Christian Growth,"" and presents in-depth studies on a wide range of thought-provoking, sometimes controversial, subjects. It is designed to challenge Baptists to get into the Word of God. Suitable for adults and older teens - a great resource for busy pastors. Two volume set. VOLUME II ... N - Numerology; O - Offenses & Forgiveness; P - Precepts, Principles, Preferences; Q - Qualifications of Officers; R - Repentance; S - Sin, Suffering, & Sickness; T - The Tabernacle; U - Unseen World; V - Preacher's Vocation; W - Role of Women in Churches; X - Xcuses; Y - Youth; Z - Zeal. 204 pages. 8½" x 11" spiral bound.
ENGLISH Bible Institute curriculum.
Baptist Doctrine (In 4 volumes, $16 per book) $64.00 ( PRODUCT DETAILS by: Robert J. Sargent. A FOUR volume set of Systematic Theology, arranged under the following sections: 1. An Introduction to Theology. 2. The Doctrine of the Bible (Bibliology). 3. The Doctrine of God (Theology Proper). 4. The Doctrine of Christ (Christology). 5. The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology). 6. The Doctrine of Man (Anthropology). 7. The Doctrine of Sin (Harmartiology). 8. The Doctrine of Salvation (Soteriology). 9. The Doctrine of the Church (Ecclesiology). 10. The Doctrine of the Unseen World(Angelology). 11. The Doctrine of Last Things (Eschatology). Four volumes, 848 pages. [Revised 2006] 8½" X 11" spiral bound. Based on the Authorized, King James Version and thoroughly Baptist. Because of the amount of material, our recommendation is that the first two books be covered in the student's first year, and the last two books in the second year. THE LECTURE HEADINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS: VOLUME ONE AN INTRODUCTION TO BAPTIST DOCTRINE An Introduction to Baptist Doctrine THE DOCTRINE OF THE SCRIPTURES (BIBLIOLOGY) The Nature of the Bible Revelation and the Bible The Inspiration of the Bible Defined The Inspiration of the Bible Demonstrated The Inspiration of the Bible Defended The Canonization of the Bible The Credibility of the Bible The Authority of the Bible The Preservation of the Bible The Translation of the Bible The Versions of the Bible The Student of the Bible THE DOCTRINE OF GOD (THEOLOGY PROPER) The Concept of God The Existence of God The Essence of God The Nature of God - His Natural Attributes The Nature of God - His Moral Attributes The Sovereignty of God The Names and Title of God VOLUME TWO THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST (CHRISTOLOGY) Introduction to the Doctrine of Christ The Pre-Incarnation of Christ The Incarnation of Christ The Nature of Christ - His Humanity The Nature of Christ - His Deity The Person of Christ The Offices of Christ The Atonement of Christ - Defined The Atonement of Christ - Explained The Atonement of Christ - Applied The Resurrection of Christ The Present Work of Christ The Future Work of Christ THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (PNEUMATOLOGY) The Personality of the Holy Spirit The Deity of the Holy Spirit The Works of the Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Baptism The Gifts of the Holy Spirit The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit VOLUME THREE THE DOCTRINE OF MAN (ANTHROPOLOGY) The Creation of Man The Nature of Man The Fall of Man THE DOCTRINE OF SIN (HARMARTIOLOGY) The Fact of Sin The Nature of Sin The Effects of Sin THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION (SOTERIOLOGY) Introduction Law and Grace Repentance and Faith Regeneration Justification Adoption Election and Predestination Sanctification Eternal Security Prayer and Fasting VOLUME FOUR THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH (ECCLESIOLOGY) The Biblical Definition of a Church The Church and the Kingdom of God The First New Testament Church The Relationship of Jesus Christ to His Churches The Government of a New Testament Church The Officers of a Church Scriptural Baptism - its Subjects Scriptural Baptism - its Modes Scriptural Baptism - its Symbolism Scriptural Baptism - its Administrator The Lord’s Supper Tithing and Stewardship The Discipline of a Church The Purpose of a Church THE DOCTRINE OF THE UNSEEN WORLD (ANGELOLOGY) The Existence and Nature of Angels The Ministry of Angels The Person and Nature of Satan The Works of Satan Devils or Demons THE DOCTRINE OF LAST THINGS (ESCHATOLOGY) The Course of this Age The Seven Judgments The Two Resurrections The Millennial Kingdom of Christ The Eternal State
Old Testament History, $16 (by: the late Dr. Gary S. Prisk. Lecture notes covering the Old Testament in a chronological way from Genesis to Esther (Creation to the Captivity). 255 pages. 8½" × 11" spiral bound.
Personal Evangelism, $20, ( Robert J. Sargent. This manual provides an excellent tool for training men for the Baptist ministry. It is a comprehensive study in the theology and methodology of soul winning, emphasizing three important areas of personal evangelism: the message, the motivation, and the mastery of winning precious souls to Jesus Christ. The lectures are: 1. The CALL to Personal Evangelism 2. The REASON for Personal Evangelism 3. The MESSAGE of Personal Evangelism 4. The PROCESS in Personal Evangelism 5. The EXAMPLES of Personal Evangelism 6. The POWER for Personal Evangelism 7. The TECHNIQUES of Personal Evangelism 8. The CHALLENGES in Personal Evangelism 9. The SEQUEL to Personal Evangelism As with all Bible Baptist Church Publications materials, this publication holds the Authorized, King James Version to be the pure, preserved Word of God in the English language, and is Baptist in its doctrinal content. The book includes a Resource CD containing evangelistic Bible studies, and suggested student book reviews and assignments. 216 pages 8½" x 11" spiral bound
The Life of Christ, $10 (by: the late Dr. Gary S. Prisk. Lecture notes surveying the four Gospels, designed to give the student a working knowledge of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. 127 pages. 8½" x 11" spiral bound. A recommended adjunct and resource for this course of study is “An Historic Harmony of the Gospels.”)
Harmony of the Gospels, $20, (by: Robert J. Sargent. A four-column chronological harmony of the four Gospel accounts of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, accompanied by maps, chronological notes, and a detailed chart of the “passion week.” Unlike most other harmonies, this volume does not correct the Word of God and it presents a Wednesday crucifixion in accordance with Matthew 12:40. Fully indexed. Great library and study tool. Recommended for use with The Life of Christ course. 220 pages. 8½" × 11" spiral bound.)
Life & Labors of Paul the Apostle, $25, (by: Robert J. Sargent. This manual presents a comprehensive study in the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul, including a presentation of the geographical and political background of his day, the chronological and historical account of his life and ministry, and an examination of his sufferings and prayer life. Significant emphasis is placed upon Paul's "missionary methods," comparing and contrasting them which the methods of the 21ST century. This manual was written to help prepare men for the Baptist ministry. As with all Bible Baptist Church Publications materials, it holds the Authorized, King James Version to be the pure, preserved Word of God in the English language, and is Baptist in its doctrinal content. This publication makes good use of charts and maps to help understand the story of Paul's life — including a chronological chart covering the years of Paul's life. The volume comes complete with study questions and an assignment. The lectures are as follows: 1. The World of Paul 2. The Chronology of Paul 3. The Upbringing of Paul 4. The Conversion of Paul 5. The Sending Church of Paul 6. The First Evangelistic Expedition of Paul 7. The Jerusalem Conference 8. The Second Evangelistic Expedition of Paul 9. The Third Evangelistic Expedition of Paul 10. The First Roman Imprisonment of Paul 11. The Second Roman Imprisonment of Paul 12. The Sufferings of Paul 13. The Prayer Life of Paul 14. The Epistles of Paul 15. A Time Line of the Life and Labors of Paul 272 pages 8½" x 11" spiral bound)
The New Testament Epistles, Volume 1, $24.00 (by: Robert J. Sargent A New Testament Introduction (The Pauline Epistles) A thorough study of each of the 13 epistles penned by the apostle Paul, under the following heads: Author Writer Addressee Place of Writing Date of Writing Occasion forWriting Canonicity Theme Key Verse Style of the Book Outline of the Book Homiletic & Doctrinal Appeal Problem Texts Exercises Review Questions Includes a thorough Introductory lecture and a Background lecture. Designed for classroom lectures, but also eminently suitable for personal study and as a valuable reference tool. 240 pages, 8½" x 11", spiral bound.)
The New Testament Epistles, Volume 2, $24.00 (by: Robert J. Sargent. A New Testament Introduction (Hebrews & the General Epistles) A thorough study of each of last eight epistles contained in the New Testament, under the following heads: Author Writer Addressee Place of Writing Date of Writing Occasion for Writing Canonicity Theme Key Verse Style of the Book Outline of the Book Homiletic & Doctrinal Appeal Problem Texts Exercises Review Questions Designed for classroom lectures, but also eminently suitable for personal study and as a valuable reference tool. 136 pages, 8½" x 11", spiral bound.
Expository Bible Teaching, $25 (by: Robert J. Sargent. A comprehensive study in the doctrine of the Scriptures, hermeneutics, synthetic, analytic, and auxiliary Bible study methods, coupled with the history of interpretation, a section on applied teaching and public speaking techniques. 332 pages. 8½" x 11" spiral bound.)
Church History, Book 1, $25 (by: Robert J. Sargent. A detailed study of the history of the Baptists from the time of Christ and the apostles to the present day — set against the backdrop of a general ecclesiastical history. Newly revised, with additional information. VOLUME ONE: From the days of the apostles to the end of the Dark Ages • An Introduction to Church History • Christianity in the First Century • Christianity in the Second Century • Christianity in the Third Century • Christianity in the Fourth Century • Christianity in the Fifth Century • Christianity in the Sixth Century • The Growth of the Papacy • Light in the Gloom: The Paulicians • The Golden Years of the Papacy • Medieval Baptist Churches and Groups • The Decline of the Papacy • The Anabaptists, 2014 revised edition 246 pages 8½" x 11" spiral bound)
Church History, Book 2, $28 (by: Robert J. Sargent. A detailed study of the history of the Baptists from the time of Christ and the apostles to the present day — set against the backdrop of a general ecclesiastical history. Revised, with additional information and updating into the early-21st century. VOLUME TWO: From the Protestant Reformation to the Present Day • The Protestant Reformation (Part One) — in Europe • The Protestant Reformation (Part Two) — in Great Britain • The Counter-Reformation • The Development of Protestantism • Roman Catholicism in the 17th & 19th Centuries • A General Church History in North America • Baptist History in North America • The Baptist Union in Great Britain • The Ecumenical Movement • Baptists in the 21st Century • National Church Histories (Australasia) 2014 revised edition 325 pages 8½" x 11" spiral bound)
Homiletics, $12, (by: the late Dr. Gary S. Prisk. A study in the preparation and delivery of sermons. Instructs the student in expository, topical, and textual sermons.125 pages. 8½" × 11" spiral bound.)
Bible Preaching, $15, (By: Robert J. Sargent. A training manual designed to be used by pastors and evangelists to train their men in the science and art of effectual Bible preaching. The book has two main divisions — the Preparation of Sermons (Homiletics) and the Preaching of Sermons (Oratory). The lecture chapters are: · Introduction to Homiletics · Sermon Basics · Sermon Types · Sermon Construction · Sermon Illustrations · The Invitation · Preaching Basics: The Setting · Preaching Basics: The Speaker · Preaching Basics: The Style. Each lecture includes study questions. There is also a preaching evaluation form, and two assignments. 192 pages 8½" X 11" spiral bound)
English Bible: Manuscript Evidence, $34, (by: Robert J. Sargent. A comprehensive study in Bible Introduction, tracing the history of the Bible from GOD to MAN — from God's revelation of His eternal Word to the Authorized, King James Version we hold in our hands. This manual was written to help prepare men for the Baptist ministry. It demonstrates why the Authorized, King James Version is the pure, preserved Word of God in the English language from a doctrinal, historical, and textual standpoint. This publication makes good use of charts to help simplify complex facts. It comes complete with study questions and assignments. Three valuable appendices list details of papyrus, uncial, and minuscule manuscripts; the translators of the Authorized, King James Version "Preface to the Readers;" and a list of English translations, versions, and paraphrases, etc. published since 1611. All are placed in .pdf format on a CD-ROM insert to the manual. The 14 lectures are as follows: 1. Revelation. 2. Inspiration. 3. Communication. 4. Canonization. 5. Preservation. 6. Desecration. 7. Emancipation I. 8. Emancipation II. 9. Translation. 10. Coronation. 11. Publication. 12. Discrimination. 13. Proliferation. 14. Altercation. 397 pages + appendix CD. 8½" x 11" spiral bound.)
Pastoral Theology, $40 (by: Robert J. Sargent. This manual presents a comprehensive guide to preparing God-called men for the Baptist pastorate. The volume comes complete with study questions and an assignment. It also includes a resource CD-ROM that serves as a companion to the lecture notes. As with all Bible Baptist Church Publications materials, it holds the Authorized, King James Version to be the pure, preserved Word of God in the English language, and is Baptist in its doctrinal content. The lectures are as follows: PART I What a Pastor Is His Mandate His Making His Marks His Manners His Mutualities PART II What a Pastor Does The Pastor as a Messenger The Pastor as a Master The Pastor as a Minister The Pastor as a Militant The Pastor as a Mentor PART III What a Pastor Grapples With His Money His Menaces His Moving 386 pages + Resource CD 8½" x 11" spiral bound)
Baptist Polity, $35, (by: Robert J. Sargent. A course of study in applied ecclesiology, presenting principles and practices for 21st-century Baptist churches. Topics include: 1. Baptist Distinctives. 2. The Doctrine of the Church. 3. Baptist Baptism 4. Church Membership. 5. Church Discipline. 6. Church Offices. 7. Ordination. 8. Evangelists. 9. Church Government. 10. Church Autonomy. 11. Comparative Ecclesiastical Government. 12. Church Ordinances. 13. Alien Immersion. 14. The Lord′s Supper. 15. Church Meetings. 16. Church Music. 17. Worship. 18. Church Finances. 19. The Role of Women. 20. Evangelism. 21. Organizing a Church. 466 pages. 8½" × 11" spiral bound. Includes a comprehensive resource appendix on a CD-ROM (adding another 265 pages). Appendix includes a sample set of By-Laws.)
Women in Ministry, $20, (By: Vicki L. Sargent. A complete training course, specifically structured to help train and prepare godly women to work alongside their husbands as pastors? wives and/or evangelists? wives. This course has seven chapters: The Role of Women in Baptist Churches. Your Perceived Life. Your Personal Life. Your Family Life. Your Church Life. Your Ministry Life. Your Approved Life. 216 pages. 8½" × 11" spiral bound.)

No Nicolaitans said, "Perhaps Alan (who is a missionary to Thailand) can be of more assistance."
Although I was in Thailand during the Vietnam War (as I mentioned a long time ago), we are missionaries to Taiwan. Attached is the You Tube Channel, "Blessings From heaven," from the church that we founded, Victory Baptist Church, Hua Lien, Taiwan, with messages, Bible studies, singing, in English and Chinese. We will be leaving soon for furlough, so our recently ordained assistant, Chinese, pastor, will be uploading more materials (in Chinese only), as he can, in the future.
The above video is a welcome from Pastor Job Gwoh, in Mandarin Chinese.

Can I encourage you to try ever preacher or teacher against the Word of God. Whether it is live preaching, on line preaching, books, or college course, don't simply accept anybody's teaching, but test it and study it from God's Word.
Look at Acts 17
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Note that these were more noble because they searched the scriptures testing whether the preaching of Paul was correct.
Paul was an apostle, used of God to write about half the New Testsment. If it was ok to check that Paul was preaching it right then you can be sure it is ok for you check anybody else.

Concurrently: 1. To agree. 2. To act together. 3. To occur at the same time.
Progressively in order, with some intermingling. I do not think the first seal occurs at the time of the first trumpet etc.. I think we need to bear in mind that there are numerous disasters occurring, and intermingling, with the other disasters.
For example.
Revelation 6:7, the fourth seal, death stalks the world.
Revelation 8:9 the second angel sounds and the great mountain falls into the sea and causes a huge amount of loss of life.
Revelation 9:18 due to the large army of two hundred thousand, and the other two plagues, over one third of the population of the world dies.
Revelation 16:8 the fourth angel, with the fourth vial, causes the sun to scorch men with fire.
All the above examples seem to occur concurrently and cause great death, terror, and world-wide destruction. Are all the same? No. Do all produce the same result: death and terror? Yes, so they somewhat agree with the results are taken into consideration. Are they progressive. Yes and no.
So, I cannot see how each trumpet, seal, vial, woe, is caused to happen at the same time but the results are the same: death on a world-wide scale, terror, and the wrath of God on all of the earth. So, I think concurrently is the best word to use.

Well we got the bad news. The medical bills of the injured party far exceeded the maximum on our liability insurance. We are waiting on the demand letter to come now. Not only that, I forgot to mention that I was hurt the very same night with a massive rotator cuff tear on my right shoulder when I fell off the equipment trailer., Can't lift my hand above head level. I made it through the MRI but still have not been scheduled for surgery. It takes so long between scheduling for tests and dr visits. The dr wants to do a total shoulder replacement but I don't want that.

I just performed a quick search (in Matthew) of the name Jesus on my phone's Bible program. This is just an estimate, because I didn't do the actual math. However, I would venture to say that 99% of the instances in which Jesus' name is mentioned, it is his name alone...without Christ (or another title or identifier) attached to his name.

I do not think it wrong to refer to Him either way. I posted the Scripture as this was the way that God, the Holy Spirit chose to introduce Him to the world. I also think that referring to Him by only the name Jesus or by His name as well as His title mostly depends on how He being spoken of. For instance, when speaking of Him as the Messiah it would be entirely correct to use His name and title in full, but also not wrong to refer to Him as Jesus. So, in our writing or speech how we depict Him and who we depict Him as could be the determining factor.

This topic has been in the news as of late and it seems that churсhеѕ have become a bееn a ѕоft target for сrіmіnаlѕ. Church used to be a safe place, but that all seems to be changing. There is money аnd rеtrасtаblе gооdѕ, there are people whо аrе dіѕtrасtеd, thеrе are cars left unаttеndеd, the properties not рrоtесtеd. The biggest things that we used to have to worry about was theft and vandalism. Now, it seems that armed security is become a necessity in our churches as more and more church shootings are taking place. Sometimes the churches are randomly chosen, while other times it may be a disgruntled member or a someone who just got angry at the pastor or church.
Since churches are open to the public in worship the crіmіnаlѕ can dо their "casing" of сhurсhеѕ just as thеу do that of houses, tо ѕее іf thеrе аrе obvious оbѕtасlеѕ оn thе wау. The оnlу difference in a church іѕ that thеу juѕt gо іn аnd look around. Thеу could nеvеr dо thаt аt hоmе.
Prоtесtіng thе church from аll fоrm оf security threats keeps the church safe tо worship. Some of the following is from some things I’ve seen in churches, while others are some things that we have implemented in our church. Our churches needs to be protected from violence, child abuse, sexual predators, thieves, vandalism, and more.
Have a Security Plan: This plan should include all issues of security, from active shooters to child abuse. Contact your local law enforcement as they are usually willing to work with churches and to make recommendations. Don’t be in denial that this will not happen in your church. Look at security as a ministry not an expense. It is our responsibility as leaders in the church to provide a safe environment for those that choose to worship.
Report illegal activity to the Police: Churches seem to find it easier to call the police for burglary or vandalism, but some fail to report abuse when it comes to a staff member and underage child. ALL reports of abuse needs to be reported to authorities. Before a church hires a staff members they need to do background checks, and that will only show if reported.
Organize a church security ministry team: Thеn рrоtесt thе. Theft аnd burglаrу аrе thе crime оf сноісе for сhurсhеѕ. Churches uѕuаllу have ѕоund systems, sound еԛuірmеnt, соmрutеrѕ, еtс.. Thеѕе іtеmѕ аrе еаѕу to fеnсе іn аnd easy tо ѕtеаl. Mаrk thеm for easy іdеntіfісаtіоn and keep thеm іn a lосkеd storage room when not in uѕе. Just one visit to your church will show the thieves what your inventory is.
Gеt a ѕесurіtу ѕurvеу: Your lосаl police саn do that, аnd іnѕurаnсе соmраnу сlаіmѕ managers will bе hарру to help. It is аlѕо their interest thаt your facility іѕ ѕаfе аnd ѕесurе. Remind Church mеmbеrѕ nоt to lеаvе vаluаblеѕ in ѕіght whenever thеіr cars аrе parked, аnd thеу should аѕ wеll lock thеіr cars. Hаvіng ѕоmеоnе реrіоdісаllу mоnіtоr the lot іѕ аlѕо a gооd dеtеrrеnt. It may also help if you have some abuse happen in your church, as it may be caught on camera.
Armed members: Many churches can’t afford to hire an outside security team, but also many churches are blessed to have members serving on their security teams who are active duty law enforcement or those who are legally permitted to carry a concealed firearm. Make sure you follow all local laws and use wisdom when assembling your armed security team.
You MUST train: Although you may be blessed to have members in you church who can legally carry a concealed weapon, or those with law enforcement and military experience, you should never assume that they will all perform at the same level during an emergency. Chances are, they won’t. This is why conducting firearms drills is so critical and should become a required component of your annual training.
Please let me know in the comments below what do you do in your church to help in church security.

This is an interesting addition to your study.
Gal 3:22-25
(22) But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
(23) But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
(24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
(25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
The Law had a job (purpose) of teaching us that we need Christ.
Even today, the fact that no one is able to keep all the Law teaches those willing to listen that there is only one way - through Christ Jesus the Lord.

I’m sorry - but it is literally 100000000000% impossible for you to fulfill the righteousness of the law, which is why Jesus had to die on the cross for your sins. He fulfilled all righteousness in keeping the law perfectly. When we receive Him as our Saviour, His righteousness is credited to our account in the eyes of God the Father (and ultimately our righteousness through Christ exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees, which is what God’s Word teaches).
2 Corinthians 5:21
" 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

No, not me. My Dad was in Vietnam - came back better than most. He stayed in the Army for 21 years.
So, military family. I joined the airforce cadets when I was a youngster, and thought about following on, but that didn't happen.

Note - I couldn't figure out how to post from the other thread to here, so I quote his first post and edited the text with that from the other thread. This explains the incorrect time stamp.
Now then:
I went looking for their online church and did not find any such thing.
In fact as far as I can tell the two men are nor associated and it seems like one of them is dead.
And neither of them are running an on line church. I didn't spend huge time searching, so there is a possibility I am wrong, but that is what I have found.
So the truth of the matter is that you don't go to any church, but you do find preachers that you like to listen to.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
That what it seems like to me.
Show us that I am wrong please.

Review of Clarence Larkin’s Commentary Revelation 6:1-19:10 ‘Tribulation Overview.” Introduction Review by Alan Very Important notes: At this point in our study of the prophetic events in our broad overview of Revelation 6:1-19:10 we need to make sure of six key points in the interpretation, and order of events, of prophecy: 1. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 “Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:32. Concerning prophecy, there are specific promises and prophesies given to the elect sons of Israel; specific prophecies concerning the unbelieving Gentile nations, and specific promises to the elect in the church of God (believing Jews and Gentiles in the Church Age). 2. “… for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10 3. The prophetic prophecies by the prophets in the Old Testament concerning the restoration of Israel, the coming of the Messiah, and the times of ‘Jacob’s Trouble,’ (the Tribulation Period)and the prophesies of the Lord Jesus, particularly Matthew chapter 24 & 25, the prophecies of Paul, Peter and John are not always written in the order of sequence. The proper order of sequences of the prophecies is ‘revealed’ in the Book of Revelation. Because God is the God of order, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthians 14:10, God gave us the proper order of prophetic events clearly delineated in the Book of Revelation. 4. The “Bride,” or “wife” of the Lord Jesus is the church. Ephesians 5:23-33 The reason why the church is not mentioned during the events of the Great Tribulation Period, or the ‘Times of Jacob’s trouble,’ is due to the fact that the church has been in heaven since Revelation 4:1. The church, during the Tribulation Period, Revelation chapter 6-19:24, has been being made ‘ready’ for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Revelation 19:7-9. Almost without exception, every bride, in every country, in every age, is secretly taken away to be made ‘ready’ for her marriage. In Revelation 4:1 The church was secretly taken out of the world at the ‘Rapture,’ in order to be made ‘ready’ for her bridegroom. This being made ‘ready’ is primarily a reference to the cleansing of heretical doctrine in the church and the giving of rewards to the Church Age saints at the, ‘Judgment Seat of Christ,’ as spoken by Paul in Romans 14:10-12, 1 Corinthians 3:8-15, and 2 Corinthians 5:10. Salvation and service are two different aspects in the Christian life. Paul wrote this testimony shortly before his death, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” 2 Timothy 4:6 5. We will make occasional reference to the charts in Clarence Larkin’s commentary as required. 6. The Tribulation Period is a time when God judges the nations of the world as recorded in Isaiah 34 and Micah 5 Alan

Jeremiah 30:7, "Alas! for the day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. "... so that none is like it..." This is not referring to the end of the Babylonian Captivity, nor any other historical incident in the history of Israel. It is a direct reference to the Tribulation Period as prophesied by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24:13-22 and fulfilled in Revelation Chapter 6:1-19:10 The Lord Jesus plainly stated, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Matthew 24:21 For a person to say that the time of Jacob's trouble is just a historical event already taken place is a disbelief, and denial, of the very words by Jesus Christ Himself. Jeremiah 30:8, "For it shall some to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him." "... that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him." Again, this was not true after the Babylonian Captivity nor any other time of the history of Israel. Even today, the nation of Israel is subject to the whims of the world, pressure from the United States, and pressure from the United Nations. Under Ezra, King Darius was still the King over Israel and decreeing what could be built and what not could be built, Ezra 6:1-15 After King Darius , King Artaxerxes, Ezra 7:1-27, ruled over Israel as King. The book of Nehemiah is also quite clear that Nehemiah had to get permission under King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah 2:1-8, to repair Jerusalem, and Nehemiah 3, the wall, Nehemiah 7:1 Nehemiah 9:36 is very clear that Jeremiah 30:8 was not fulfilled after the captivity nor any time since, "Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good therefor, behold, we are servants in it." Jeremiah 30:8. Even in the time of the Lord Jesus the Jews were servants in their own land. Again, to say that this applied in Jeremiah's age is historically not correct. Jeremiah 30:9, "But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their King, whom I will raise up unto them." "But they shall serve the LORD their God... " After the Captivity, and in every age since then, the glory of God was not in the Temple that the Jews built nor in Herod's Temple. So, this has not been fulfilled. "... and David their King, whom I will raise up unto them." King David has not been raised up from the dead. King David will be raised up from the dead and again reign in Israel as prophesied in Jeremiah 30:9. Conclusion, "The time of Jacob's trouble," has not been fulfilled in any way; either symbolically or historically. This is not a doctrine of Clarence Larkin, nor was it thought of 100 years ago: it is a biblical doctrine. God blessed Clarence Larkin with the ability to present it in a clear manner that we should be grateful to be able to study. To malign Clarence Larkin is not good. “The time of Jacob’s trouble,” will be fulfilled as recorded in Revelation 6:1-19:10 To not to understand this fact is to show a person's lack of spiritual discernment, a lack of, "rightly dividing the scriptures," and a lack of belief in the literal fulfillment of the prophets. Alan